FDNA asks Finance Minister for funds under AP Reorganisation Act
Visakhapatnam: The Forum for Development of North Andhra (FDNA) has sought from centre ₹50,000 crore for development of the region under the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014.
In a letter to union finance minister Nirmala Seetharaman, FDNA general secretary A. Aja Sharma underlined that as per Section 46 (3) of the State Reorganisation Act, 2014, special funds are to be provided to the backward regions of North Andhra and Rayalaseema for their development. But during the 10-year period since truncation of AP, the centre has provided only a nominal ₹100 crore per district.
“Owing to insufficient funds, no development has taken place during this period,” Aja Sharma pointed out, underlining that the union government provide ₹50,000 crore to north Andhra under the Reorganisation Act for speedy completion of the pending irrigation projects in the region.
The FDNA general secretary sought immediate functioning of the new South Coast Railway zone from a temporary campus while continuing the Visakhapatnam railway division. Similarly, he demanded full allocation of funds for setting up of the Tribal and Petro universities on war footing.
Sharma demanded that construction of Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada Metro rails be started immediately. He went on to remind that funds for constructing the capital of Andhra Pradesh must be in the form of grants as per the AP Reorganisation Act and not as loans.
The FDNA general secretary said since Polavaram is a national project, as per Section 90 of the Act, funds should be allocated by the centre for rehabilitation of the people displaced under the project.
Demanding special status for AP, Sharma said the decision to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant should be withdrawn and the plant should be allotted its own captive mines.